Like the Snow
by Aquen
Summary: Ada wanted to know more, she wanted to know more about the mysterious Vincent Nightray, she wanted to know who he really was.


_I started the story without really knowing where it would go but after reading chapter 54 I got inspiration to continue the rest of the story, and also more of an idea of what I'd like this story to be about. I LOVE chapter 54! Finally Vincent is back and as if that wasn't good enough Ada was just so cute! This chapter made me like this pairing all the more~ I just had to write something more for them!_

**_Spoilers__: Chapter 54 (obviously...)_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts_**

* * *

Small little glass lace falling delicately and slowly from the grey sky above, filling the air in slow dances as they feel toward the cold ground. She sighed at the beautiful sight, her breath coming out in a puff of white air.

Snow, it was always so lovely she wished she could catch some in her bare hands and have them lay there, not melting just sitting in their white perfectness. Raising her hands she gently pressed the pads of her fingertips against her cheeks feeling the cold in them. She really should put her gloves on, but she so wanted to hold the delicate snowflakes.

"You will get cold Ada-sama." Ada turned around quickly at the voice, nearly tripping over her skirts as they swirled around her.

"Vincent-sama!" Vincent smiled at her, holding out her gloves.

"I am sure your father would not appreciate you catching a cold."

"I-I don't think he would care." Ada chuckled, clasping her cold hands together.

"I would."

He was watching her, his mismatched eyes riveted on her, the smile disappearing replaced by a serious look that always managed to make Ada blush. Ada reached forward taking the gloves from his hand.

"Thank you." She whispered slipping her hand into one glove.

Vincent smiled in return and waited as she tugged on the white gloves. When she had put on her gloves she stretched out her hands, they were turning warm confined by fabric of the gloves. She looked back up into the sky, watching as more snowflakes fell down from the overcast sky.

At this rate she would never be able to catch one.

"Shall we go?" Vincent gently took hold of Ada's arm, but waited for her reply.

Ada nodded and gave a small sound of affirmation. Vincent stepped forward, leading her down the staircase of the theater and onto the sidewalk. It was lightly coated with snow, dampening their footsteps, muffling sound the way snow always did.

Behind them was the sound of many patrons talking and laughing happily as they walked down the large front steps of the theater, their coaches waiting for them so their shoes would never have to touch the snow.

Ada smiled, her cheeks heating. Her feet touched the snow, the hem of her elegant dress swishing just above the walk, barely missing the thin coat of snow. Beside her Vincent made light footprints in the snow. In their wake was a trail of two sets of footprints.

They could not go out the front, they were on a secret outing, no one in either of their families knew they were courting; they were already risking their positions enough by going to the theater, where many people who knew them would be. The safest way out was by the back walk, to a coach they would have to call for.

Vincent had thought of it all, after a few outings to more remote places during the warmer days Vincent had opted for something more 'cultured' saying they could not always have picnics or dance one or two times at a ball held by one of the Duke's. So when the weather turned colder and the snow began to fall he had suggested the theater, a plan already formulated.

Of course Ada agreed she wanted Vincent to be happy.

She glanced up at him, his golden eye focused ahead as he led Ada, both silent. His face seemed pleasant enough, and Ada hoped he had enjoyed himself.

But it was always hard to tell, she could just ask but even if he said he had enjoyed himself it did not mean he was telling the truth. Humans did that often enough, lied about how they were feeling.

Ada did that often enough.

No, asking would not do, but Ada wished she could just ask. Just ask and know that Vincent was speaking the truth. She wanted to know him more, know what every move he made meant, know the secret meaning behind the tones in his voice, know his real thoughts and feelings, be privy to his frustrations and weaknesses, she wanted to know more about him.

He interested her, not only because of his handsome looks, entrancing eyes and ravishing smile but because of something else, something she really was not supposed to know (as the Nightray's tried to hide it) but something she knew none the less.

His joy in cutting up stuffed animals.

She had heard from Gilbert, once he had become a Nightray. She had been one of the few people in the Vessalius household who had accepted him when they heard of him becoming part of the Nightray Dukedom. When she had met him once more a few years after he became part of the Dukedom he spoke of his brother, Vincent.

Gilbert spoke as if Vincent was strange, a creepy child who Gilbert was not sure how to act around. Ada had another thought entirely when she first heard of Vincent. She was interested, even before laying eyes on the mysterious person.

She wanted to know more about him.

"Ada-sama?" Ada jerked her head to Vincent, blinking quickly.

"Yes?"

"You were staring off into space."

"Was I?" Ada chuckled nervously and gave a little shrug. "I guess I just got distracted."

"By what?"

"I was thinking…" Vincent was silent, watching Ada. So she continued. "About Gilbert."

"Gilbert?" Vincent seemed surprised, his eyes brightening. Ada watched the quick transformation; he changed whenever Gilbert was mentioned. He must really love his brother. "Why?"

"Why?" Ada bit her lip, she could not tell him what she was really thinking, but she did not want to lie to Vincent either. "About when I met him again."

"At the school?"

No, it had not been at the school, she had met him a few times before that, but the school incident had been the most recent, when Gilbert, Oscar, Oz and Alice had infiltrated the school.

"Yes."

"I see." Ada peeked over at Vincent, his voice had lowered, he was no longer smiling, his brow slightly furrowed.

Ada said nothing, just watched Vincent. If she was not mistaken he was annoyed, maybe even angry. But at what, and why? Or was she just mistaken, it was hard to tell with Vincent.

"Vincent-sama…"

Vincent snapped out of it as soon as he heard his name called by her. He smiled pleasantly, all traces of worry gone from his face that Ada almost doubted she had ever seen it at all.

"Yes Ada-sama?"

"N-nothing…" The two lapsed into silence, Vincent seeming once again pleasant and content; they were reaching the end of the walk, where they would get a coach to take them back to their different homes.

Ada pondered Vincent's expression. He had covered it, had lied. How was Ada supposed to find the real Vincent if he kept covering his feelings up? Not that Ada could blame him for doing that; she covered many of her own feelings up to. They were both liars.

But what was Vincent really like? Who was he?

Ada wanted to find this out.

* * *

"Vincent-sama!" Ada reached out toward Vincent who sat hunched against the wall. Worry coursed through her. What was happening? What was wrong?

Vincent's eyes widened in horror, again it seemed like he was not seeing her, as if he was seeing something else entirely.

"Don't touch me!" His voice was loud and angry; he lashed out, pushing her away with a swing of his arm. Ada fell back against the wall, pain searing up her back, she gasped out in shock and in pain.

"Vin-" She slide down, gasping for breath as the pain began to ebb away.

"It's all your fault!" Vincent pressed back against the wall, curling inward, body tense, eyes wide, shouting. "This is all your fault…" He repeated, his voice wild, breathing heavily.

Ada was sure he was not speaking to her, the words did not seem directed to her, but to someone else, someone Vincent was seeing instead of her. But she could not help but feel the lash of the words, the anger and pain flowing from them stinging her as if they were directed to her.

"That's right…" Vincent's voice lowered, but it was still feral and harsh maybe even frightened. Ada stood where she was, watching Vincent unsure what to do. All she had wanted was to see Vincent's true self, now she was getting a glimpse of and she was… frightened. "So…I…!" What could she do?

Ada took a step forward, not quite sure what she planned to do.

"No… Go away! Get…"

Ada held her breath, wanting to shut out Vincent's desperate voice, the fury that welled in it, the anguish.

"Get out of my sight!" He screamed. Was it directed toward her? Toward the other person? Ada was not sure, all she knew was that the words hurt, they stung, a cut to her heart. Tears pricked at her eyes, welling inside them.

Vincent pressed against the wall, one arm raised as if to protect himself, his golden hair falling down around his face, hiding his eyes, he breathed heavily but said no more, did nothing to take back the words, to retain his gentleman appearance. A tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another.

"O-okay…" Ada turned raising her hand and angrily wiping aside the tears. She could not cry, she would not cry. Vincent still sat there, hysteric, lost, alone. Ada burst into a room, eyes landing on the suit of armor in the corner.

All she wanted to know was who Vincent Nightray really was, to understand him, to know more about him. Now she knew what he was. He was like the snowflakes, beautiful in appearance, serene, calm, an outer appearance cold and distant. But in reality, so quick to melt, so delicate.

He was delicate, so Ada would be his strength.

Ada gripped the sword pommel at the waist of the suit of armor and pulled. It was stuck firmly in the sheath. She tugged a bit harder, setting her foot against the base of the suit of armor and pulling with all her might.

With one last violent tug the sword came loose, Ada fell backward barely managing to keep her footing. "Eek!" She cried as she nearly fell, wishing her skirts were not so cumbersome. The suit of armor quivered as her foot left its base, the sudden force the sword was pulled out of the sheath unbalancing it, it tilted backward and fell with a crash.

"NNnnn!" Ada began to drag the sword, it was heavier than expected, very heavy.

There were soft footsteps at the door, Ada turned around and gasped as Vincent unsteadily leaned against the doorframe.

"Ah! No, please don't come in here, Vincent-sama!" She had wanted to drag the sword to him, to protect him; Vincent did not need to move, not until he was completely recovered.

"Ada Vessalius…?" Vincent questioned, his voice sounded hoarse and his appearance looked haggard. At least he seemed to be seeing her though.

"You should rest in the other room until you feel better." Ada said, dismissing Vincent's unasked question of her strange behavior. She pushed away the tears welling up inside of her, pushed down the pain in her heart. "Until then…" Ada turned toward him, smiling happily. "I will protect you, while staying out of your sight!"

If he really did not want to see her, than so be it. But she could not just leave him now, not after seeing him like that. She would protect him in any way she could.

He gave her the smile, which meant he was lying. Ada knew now, the smile had been fake all along, a way to cover up his true feelings. She understood.

"It's okay…" Ada turned away from Vincent, hands tightening around the pommel of the sword. Before he could speak and put back up his gentlemanly act Ada continued. "There's nothing to be afraid of… because I… will always be by your side!"

Ada straightened, turning her smiling face once again toward the silent Vincent.

"So-"

Vincent's eyes widened in horror, Ada had little time to process what this might mean before Vincent shouted. "Echo!"

A blur of an object whizzed past Ada, behind her she heard the sound of a sword slicing through living flesh and bone then a thud.

"Oh…" Ada turned around, heart thudding loudly. Before she had the chance to look at what had happened behind her, her mind suddenly went dark, loosing conscious, the heavy sword slipping away from her grasp.

_No…no._ She struggled against the darkness pulling at her mind. _I need… to protect him._

Her world darkened as she hit the floor.

_I will… protect him… help him… be there for him. Vincent…_

* * *

_So there we go! I wanted to write something in Ada's perspective portraying the way she wants to know more about Vincent. Not sure about the continuity of the story though with the manga. How far after the school incident do you think it began to snow? I wanted this to be put before Vincent found out about Ada's like of the occult but... eh, who cares... I just wanted the story to flow that way (so I could incorporate snow xD ) I know this'll sound sadistic but it was so much FUN to write Vincent when he's having a break down!_


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